Tuesday, May 20th 2014
Microsoft Introduces the Surface Pro 3
On Tuesday, Microsoft Corp. introduced Surface Pro 3 - the lightweight tablet that packs the power and performance you expect from a laptop.
Surface Pro 3 is a tablet and a laptop: multiple processor, RAM and storage options intersect with a sleek design that, with a simple snap or click, transform the device from a perfectly balanced tablet to a full-functioning laptop and back again - all in a beautiful package that is 30 percent thinner than an 11-inch MacBook Air. Its stunning 12-inch display and new, continuous kickstand provide the screen real estate and multiple viewing angles people need for work and play. And the new Surface Pen - completely redesigned with form and function in mind - delivers a precise, luxurious drawing and note-taking experience with a single click of the pen.
"So many people carry both a laptop and a tablet but really want just one device that serves all purposes," said Panos Panay, corporate vice president, Microsoft Surface. "Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop - packing all the performance of a fully powered laptop into a thin, light and beautifully designed device. You'll love being able to carry a single device for your next class, workday or weekend getaway knowing you have all the power you need."
Surface Pro 3 and Surface accessories
Surface Pro 3 features a 12-inch full HD display, 4th-generation Intel Core processor options, amazing click-in keyboards, and a multiposition kickstand that goes from movie mode to working mode and all the way to writing mode. Because it runs Windows 8.1 Pro, people can run the desktop software they rely on, including Microsoft Office, multitask with side-by-side windows, and use it at work. Surface Pro 3 delivers the best writing and drawing experience with Surface Pen included and an amazing new capability where with just a click of the pen, Surface launches a fresh page in OneNote, so you can capture your thoughts immediately - as quickly as a pen and piece of paper. And it delivers big-screen entertainment anywhere with the larger, full HD screen, the kickstand, great speakers with Dolby Audio enhanced sound, and up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life.
New Surface accessories like the improved Surface Pro Type Cover will take Surface Pro 3 from tablet to laptop in a snap. The new premium Surface Pen with pressure sensitivity enables a more natural writing experience, while a full-size USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader and Mini DisplayPort allow for quick file transfers and easy connections to a range of peripherals.
Coupled with additional optional accessories, including a new Docking Station for Surface Pro 3 and a Surface Ethernet Adapter, Surface Pro 3 has all the features and capabilities of a complete laptop. The new Surface accessories can be found here.
Surface Pro 3 for business
With the introduction of Surface Pro 3, our commitment to business has never been stronger. Since introducing commercial availability less than a year ago, Surface has expanded into 31 commercial markets, celebrating new customers along the way. Surface Pro 3's versatile features allow commercial customers to deploy a laptop replacement that delivers the power, manageability and security they need to conduct business with confidence. Companies such as BMW Group, The Coca-Cola Company and LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton have already committed to purchasing and deploying the device as one of the choices inside their organizations.
"Surface Pro 3 is a truly innovative device that will replace both a tablet and a powerful laptop," said Mario Müeller, vice president IT infrastructure, BMW Group.
Microsoft is proud that these esteemed brands are adopting Surface Pro 3 to harness the promise of mobility to transform their customer experiences.
Pre-order and availability
Starting at an estimated retail price of just $799, Surface Pro 3 will be offered in multiple configurations featuring 4th-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Specs are available here.
Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro Type Cover and Surface Pen will be available for pre-order starting May 21 at 12:01 a.m. EDT through Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores and select third-party retailers. Commercial customers should speak to their authorized reseller.
Beginning June 20 in Canada and the United States, customers can visit Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores, select third-party retailers and commercial resellers to purchase Intel Core i5 Surface Pro 3 and select accessories. Additional configurations will become available during August, and additional accessories will be available in the next few months.
By the end of August, Surface Pro 3 and select new accessories will become available for purchase in 26 additional markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
More information on Surface can be found at www.microsoft.com/surface.
Surface Pro 3 is a tablet and a laptop: multiple processor, RAM and storage options intersect with a sleek design that, with a simple snap or click, transform the device from a perfectly balanced tablet to a full-functioning laptop and back again - all in a beautiful package that is 30 percent thinner than an 11-inch MacBook Air. Its stunning 12-inch display and new, continuous kickstand provide the screen real estate and multiple viewing angles people need for work and play. And the new Surface Pen - completely redesigned with form and function in mind - delivers a precise, luxurious drawing and note-taking experience with a single click of the pen.
Surface Pro 3 and Surface accessories
Surface Pro 3 features a 12-inch full HD display, 4th-generation Intel Core processor options, amazing click-in keyboards, and a multiposition kickstand that goes from movie mode to working mode and all the way to writing mode. Because it runs Windows 8.1 Pro, people can run the desktop software they rely on, including Microsoft Office, multitask with side-by-side windows, and use it at work. Surface Pro 3 delivers the best writing and drawing experience with Surface Pen included and an amazing new capability where with just a click of the pen, Surface launches a fresh page in OneNote, so you can capture your thoughts immediately - as quickly as a pen and piece of paper. And it delivers big-screen entertainment anywhere with the larger, full HD screen, the kickstand, great speakers with Dolby Audio enhanced sound, and up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life.
New Surface accessories like the improved Surface Pro Type Cover will take Surface Pro 3 from tablet to laptop in a snap. The new premium Surface Pen with pressure sensitivity enables a more natural writing experience, while a full-size USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader and Mini DisplayPort allow for quick file transfers and easy connections to a range of peripherals.
Coupled with additional optional accessories, including a new Docking Station for Surface Pro 3 and a Surface Ethernet Adapter, Surface Pro 3 has all the features and capabilities of a complete laptop. The new Surface accessories can be found here.
Surface Pro 3 for business
With the introduction of Surface Pro 3, our commitment to business has never been stronger. Since introducing commercial availability less than a year ago, Surface has expanded into 31 commercial markets, celebrating new customers along the way. Surface Pro 3's versatile features allow commercial customers to deploy a laptop replacement that delivers the power, manageability and security they need to conduct business with confidence. Companies such as BMW Group, The Coca-Cola Company and LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton have already committed to purchasing and deploying the device as one of the choices inside their organizations.
"Surface Pro 3 is a truly innovative device that will replace both a tablet and a powerful laptop," said Mario Müeller, vice president IT infrastructure, BMW Group.
Microsoft is proud that these esteemed brands are adopting Surface Pro 3 to harness the promise of mobility to transform their customer experiences.
Pre-order and availability
Starting at an estimated retail price of just $799, Surface Pro 3 will be offered in multiple configurations featuring 4th-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Specs are available here.
Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro Type Cover and Surface Pen will be available for pre-order starting May 21 at 12:01 a.m. EDT through Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores and select third-party retailers. Commercial customers should speak to their authorized reseller.
Beginning June 20 in Canada and the United States, customers can visit Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores, select third-party retailers and commercial resellers to purchase Intel Core i5 Surface Pro 3 and select accessories. Additional configurations will become available during August, and additional accessories will be available in the next few months.
By the end of August, Surface Pro 3 and select new accessories will become available for purchase in 26 additional markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
More information on Surface can be found at www.microsoft.com/surface.
15 Comments on Microsoft Introduces the Surface Pro 3
It seems like a winner, meshing both tablet and laptop functions in one. This is what version 1.0 should have been all along.
Two IT friends today commented that this could replace all the out of office laptop units they issue. I think this will make inroads in businesses.
If, for example, someone uses a computer for video games and little else they would then value a system with a powerful video subsystem,.....and consider anything less useless garbage.
Never-mind that people use computers for many things including real work. Which is why some people would look at a Seiki 4K display locked in at 30Hz as unusable and a other people (programer for example) looking for a good display for work would think its perfect for their needs.
Different needs, different use case and so on,......as well as an inability to see beyond their own needs,...or wants,....
Hopefully the digitizer is just as good or better than the previous ones.
I've thought about getting one for using Manga studio/photoshop on the go.
It's like a laptop and Cintiq all in one! The 12" screen size is the best improvement imho.
EDIT: just saw this thing has a 1440p display
Also Microsoft is attempting to bill this as a tablet + laptop convergence device and in a way I think they have done that well enough with this generation. Many people who have tablets often have a laptop as well and the Surface Pro 3 seems to be able to take the place of these two products.
Naturally that depends on the use case of the individual or organization.
Still it seems like a fairly good product for students, graphic artists, engeeriers businesses, and so on.
A person could easily spend about ~$799 on a 32GB iPad Air WiFi + Cellular (ARM based) model so I see no reason that something such as the Surface Pro 3 shouldn't be in contention.
That's silly.
Sell me a $1,050 model with 8gb of memory, 128gb SSD and throw in the keyboard.
For some reason people so often seem to lack the understanding that they cannot dictate the price of such products. They can only set the price they are willing to pay and that said price isn't universal to all potential buyers.
If someone wants a Surface or some other tablet PC for a low price then they may be able to buy a previous generation for a significantly reduced price (while still being new ie unused). A first gen Surface Pro with 128GB of storage is probably about ~$560 to ~$580 or so new. If. I wanted or needed something like the Surface Pro that might be an option I would take advantage of. I'm still on my first tablet PC because it still serves my needs. The old ASUS Eee Slate EP121 Core i5 tablet PC which is user upgradable to a larger mSATA SSD, WiFi / Blutooth card, ect.